Pickled beetroot recipe

Learn how to make your own sweet and delicious pickled beetroot with our simple recipe.

This is a great recipe for using up any fresh beetroot that you have around, and means you have a ready supply which will last up to three months, taking you well into winter. The season starts around July, until late October. Pickled beetroot is just delicious in sandwiches but also make a great addition to lots of salads. It adds a sweet piquant flavour that really elevates a dish. Beetroot actually have the highest sugar content in the vegetable word, but don't worry, they're really low calorie and packed with healthy nutrients.

Ingredients

• About 1.5kg (total weight) fresh beetroot
• 2.5cm piece cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp each black peppercorns, cloves and yellow mustard seeds
• 2 tsp whole allspice
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 litre distilled malt vinegar
• 4 x 500ml wide-necked jars, sterilised

Method

1. To make the spiced vinegar: Put the spices, sugar and 300ml of the vinegar in a pan. Bring to the boil slowly, take it off the heat and set aside; overnight, covered, if you have time, to let the flavours develop.
2. Wash the beetroots carefully without rubbing the skin off. Put them into a large pan of boiling water and simmer for about 1⁄2 hours until just tender. Drain them and leave to cool.
3. Rub off the beetroot skin, then slice the roots (about 1cm thick) and pack into jars. Pour in the vinegar and spices. Cover, seal and label. Leave a week before eating. It keeps for 3 months.

Top tip for making pickled beetroot

Wear washing-up gloves for peeling and slicing beetroot otherwise you’ll have pink fingers for a couple of days.

Make sure your jars are properly sterilised before adding the pickled beetroot mix so you can guarantee freshness. Our guide on how to sterilise jars and bottles is a useful guide to help you do this correctly and efficiently.

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